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Manavta
08 July, 2025
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After class 12th, thousands of individuals stare down the barrel of competitive exams. While some chase entrance exams to secure a seat in their desired college, others pursue their dreams of being in the civil services. And to be honest, none of the competitive exams after 12th are easy.
The world after the 12th is not only about choosing a stream. It’s about picking the right battlefield for your career. This blog discusses the top 10 competitive exams after 12th. Whether you aspire to be an engineer, a doctor, an entrepreneur, or a civil servant, we have listed the best competitive exams after 12th for every dream. Discover the exam purpose, eligibility, and much more crucial information. So, shall we start?
Here is a brief list of the top 10 competitive exams after 12th. Check out which one is the gateway to your desired career objectives. Here it goes:
| Entrance Exams after 12th | Admissions To |
|---|---|
| JEE Mains | NITs, IITs, engineering colleges |
| NEET | Government & Private Medical Colleges in India |
| CAT | IIMs & other management institutes |
| XAT | Management courses at Xavier’s institutes |
| SSC CHSL | Government recruitment posts |
| CLAT | Law colleges and universities across the nation |
| BITSAT | BITS Pilani Campuses |
| NDA | Indian Army |
| RRB NTPC | Indian Railway Recruitment |
| NID DAT | National Institute of Design |
Here we have listed the descriptions of every competitive exam mentioned above. Explore each to learn about their purposes, admissions, and eligibility. Choose the one that aligns with your career goals, personal interests, and skills.
Joint Entrance Examination, or popularly known as JEE Mains, is a national-level exam. The engineering entrance exam after 12th allows you to qualify for technical courses such as BTech, BE, and BArch at the top-ranked engineering and technical institutes in India. This includes IIITs, NITs, and CFTIs. The exam is also a gateway for JEE Advanced, paving your way to globally renowned Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). It is usually conducted twice a year: in January and April. JEE Mains comprises two papers: one for BTech and BE, and paper 2 for BPlanning and BArch courses.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| National Testing Agency (NTA) | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Maths as core subjects. |
The full form of NEET is National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. The exam is conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses such as MBBS, BDS, and BAMS. It is a national-level exam, which is organised once a year. Qualifying NEET UG makes you eligible for admissions to India’s top medical colleges at the national and state levels, public and private. NEET is considered one of the toughest competitive exams after 12th. The exam comprises a total of 180 questions, holding 720 marks from three sections: physics, chemistry, and biology.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| National Testing Agency (NTA) | Conducts NEET for admission to medical/dental courses across top medical colleges in India. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English. |
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Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level exam, conducted annually by one of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis. Accepted by over 1300 MBA colleges in India, CAT offers admission to IIMs and other top management institutions. The CAT exam is a computer-based test consisting of 66 questions. It assesses your quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, data interpretation, verbal ability, and reading comprehension. While there is no fixed total score, past trends suggest it may be out of 204 marks.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to MBA or postgraduate management courses at IIMs and other top management institutes. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Graduation with 50% marks for general and 45% for reserved categories. |
Also Read: Missed the CAT Cutoff? Explore These Career-Focused Online Courses
Also known as the Xavier Aptitude Test, XAT is one of the toughest management competitive exams after 12th. It is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur every year and offers admission to MBA/PGDM programs at Xavier’s institutes and 148 other participating colleges. The computer-based test consists of four sections: verbal and logical reasoning, decision making, general knowledge, and data interpretation & quantitative ability. It typically includes 99–102 questions.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Xavier Institute of Management (XLRI), Jamshedpur | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to MBA/PGDM at Xavier’s institutes and other participating colleges. |
| Minimum Eligibility | You must have passed a 3-year bachelor’s degree. |
The Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level (SSC CHSL) is one of the leading government competitive exams after 12th. Conducted annually by SSC, it is a gateway to various entry-level government posts. The computer-based exam is conducted in two tiers—Tier 1 and Tier 2—and features multiple-choice questions assessing general awareness, general intelligence, English language, and quantitative aptitude.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Staff Selection Commission (SSC) | |
| Exam Purpose | Recruitment for Group C posts under the Government of India. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Passed 10+2 or equivalent from a recognised board. Age limit: 18–27 years. |
Common Admission Law Test (CLAT) is a national-level law entrance exam accepted by 24 National Law Universities (NLUs) and 60 other prestigious law colleges in India. It provides admission to 5-year integrated undergraduate law programs like BA LLB, BBA LLB, and BCom LLB. The exam is conducted in offline mode (pen and paper) and includes 120 questions, each carrying one mark.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Consortium of National Law Universities | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to National Law Universities (NLUs) & top law schools across India. |
| Minimum Eligibility | 10+2 or equivalent with 45% for General and 40% for SC/ST candidates. |
Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT) is a popular engineering entrance exam conducted by BITS Pilani. It is held once every year and allows admission into BTech, BE, and MSc (Biological Sciences) programs at the BITS campuses in Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad. The exam is conducted in online mode (CBT).
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences (BITS), Pilani | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to BITS Pilani campuses for various engineering and science courses. |
| Minimum Eligibility | 10+2 or equivalent with 75% in Physics, Chemistry, & Maths as mandatory subjects. |
The National Defence Academy (NDA) exam is conducted by UPSC and is one of the top government competitive exams after 12th for students aiming to join the Indian Armed Forces. Selected candidates are trained at the National Defence Academy or the Indian Naval Academy and later commissioned into the Indian Army, Navy, or Air Force. The selection involves a 5-hour written examination followed by the SSB Interview process.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) | |
| Exam Purpose | Gateway to join the Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, and Air Force. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Passed 10+2 from a recognised board. Age limit: 16.5 to 19.5 years. |
The Railway Recruitment Board Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) exam is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board to recruit candidates for various non-technical positions in the Indian Railways. It is open to both 12th-pass and graduate candidates. The exam is a computer-based test conducted in two stages—CBT 1 and CBT 2—followed by a typing skill test. CBT 1 includes 100 questions, while CBT 2 contains 120 questions, each carrying one mark.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) | |
| Exam Purpose | To recruit candidates for non-technical positions at Indian Railways. |
| Minimum Eligibility | Passed 10+2 or equivalent Age limit: 18–33 years. |
The National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducted annually for admission to B.Des (Bachelor of Design) and other design programs. It is one of the most sought-after competitive exams after 12th in the field of design. NID DAT is held in two stages: Prelims (a written exam) and Mains (studio test and personal interview). The exam evaluates your drawing ability, creativity, design knowledge, and problem-solving skills.
| Conducting Body | Details |
|---|---|
| National Institute of Design (NID) | |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to UG & PG courses in design at top institutions across India. |
| Minimum Eligibility | 10+2 from a recognised board with at least 50% marks. |
Choosing a competitive exam after 12th is like selecting your first track of your professional journey. It sets the pace and the right direction for your career. Whether you are aiming for NITs, IIMs, AIIMS, or even central armed forces academies, there are competitive exams after 12th that allow you to do so, without any advanced degree requirements. So, begin early, stay consistent, and do not let the exam pressure shake your focus. Remember, your future cannot be decided by one exam. But the right exam can open doors to what you never imagined. Chase the dream, not the crowd!
While the best depends on your individual career requirements, JEE Mains, NEET, and CAT are the top choices among 12th passouts. Nearly 10 lakh candidates appear for these exams every year.
Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam, also known as UPSC CSE, is considered one of the toughest and the number one competitive exams in India.
UPSC Civil Services Exam, IIT-JEE Advanced, and GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) are the three toughest exams in India. Besides them, NTA NEET, CAT, and SSC CGL are also considered tough nuts to crack.
There is no such exam which is best for a career. The competitive exam that leads you to the road of your dreams or career objectives is considered the best for your career. For instance, if you are a technical person interested in engineering, JEE Mains is best instead of CAT for IIMs or NEET for medical courses. It depends on your career preferences.
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